Just toss it all in there...

I am quite a fan of chili on snowy days and cold nights.  In the mountains this past weekend, Kristin's husband, Scott, made white bean turkey chili that was to die for.  I am pretty sure it was a secret recipe and I don't know what he put in it (I heard him mumble something about hominy?), but it was absolutely magical.  A party in my mouth.  I would have gone back for seconds, but that huge pot of heaven was all gone in about 5 minutes, and I don't believe that Scott even got a bowl-full of his own masterpiece. We should all be ashamed of ourselves.

After having such a flavorsome dinner on Saturday night, I made up my mind that I would attempt a white bean turkey chili myself for David and I to enjoy Halloween night while passing out candy to the kiddies.  I spent a solid hour on the internet Sunday afternoon researching white bean turkey chili recipes and was completely overwhelmed.  How do you KNOW what the perfect combination of ingredients is that will make a chili impeccable?  I was at an utter loss. But I figured that while it is pretty hard to make your chili the very best, it is also pretty hard to completely screw it up.  So, I called off the search and ventured into uncharted territory.

My personal food critic says that this chili wound up pretty darn good, and I would have to agree. However, my personal food critic also has to live with me, so if he knows what's good for him, he'll smile and choke down whatever I slop on his plate. "You will eat this and you will like it!"

Juuuust kidding.

I am going to share my chili recipe with you, if you get a hankering for it anytime soon.  The best part about this recipe is that besides browning the ground turkey, you just toss it all in a crock pot and let it cook itself.

Ingredients:
2.50 lbs extra lean ground turkey breast (I used two 1.25 lb. packages of Jennie O)
3 16 oz. cans of Navy Beans (rinsed & drained)
1 4 oz. can of diced green chilis (drained)
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. oregano
dash of cinnamon
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
cornstarch


Here she goes...
Pour a bit of EVOO in a pan and chunk the ground turkey, garlic, and diced onions in there.  Let them simmer until the turkey is browned.

Meanwhile, drain & rise your beans...

Then dump them in the crock pot with the green chilis...

I realize these pictures are UBER boring. Chili-making is not the most interesting photographic subject matter.


Drain your turkey and dump it in the crock pot on top of the beans.  Then add in the salt, ground cumin, ground white pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, and a dash of cinnamon (I got a little adventurous with the cinnamon, but it really does add a nice flavor. However, if you are a purist, just leave it out.)

Give her a really good stir while adding in your chicken broth and then tuck 2 bay leaves on top...

Now you can let her rest for between 3-8 hours on low.  I prepared the chili at lunch and let her simmer all afternoon... Around 8 hours in total cooking time.

And of course, the heat of your chili is a personal preference, so add in more spice after taste-testing...  I think I added a little more salt, cumin, and cayenne...
Also, if your chili looks too runny for your liking (I like my chili thick and creamy), then add in a tablespoon of cornstarch before you serve to thicken it up...

My Favorite Toppings:
Shredded Sharp Cheddar
Sour Cream
Cilantro
And my personal favorite, Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce
*I usually love cornbread with my chili, but alas, I was too lazy to take myself to the store to get some*

If you happen to give this one a whirl, please let me know what you think!